Ana lay completely limp on her side, her whole body shaking with residual tremors, her skin flushed and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She was entirely tired, her throat raw from crying out his name.
Beside her, Damian lay flat on his back, his chest rising and falling heavily in the quiet room. His arm reached out, casually pulling her shivering frame back into his chest, tucking her flush against his heat as he closed his eyes... having claimed her completely in a single, unyielding night.
________________________
The harsh morning light filtered through the curtains, cutting across the disheveled silk sheets.
Anastasia’s eyes fluttered open. Her body was heavy with a deep, sensitive soreness... a constant reminder of the storm that had claimed her until dawn. Slowly, trying not to disturb the sleeping giant beside her, she attempted to wiggle out of his hold.
The moment she moved, Damian’s heavy arm tightened around her waist, dragging her back flush against his broad chest with absolute ease.
"Damian," Ana murmured, her throat dry and rasping. "Let go. We need to get ready for the office."
"We still have plenty of time before the office," Damian rumbled low against her ear, his gravelly morning voice sending an unwanted shiver down her spine.
He shifted, his dark eyes opening to sweep over her bare shoulder, tracing the bruised bite marks and red flush he had left on her skin. His usual cold, unyielding edge softened just a fraction as his large hand gently brushed a stray curl away from her cheek.
"Get up, doll," he commanded softly, his tone still dominant but devoid of its sharp cruelty. "Take a shower and join me in the bath."
Without waiting for her answer, Damian swung his legs off the bed, entirely unbothered by his nakedness, and strode into the adjoining master bathroom.
Left alone in the quiet bedroom, Ana pulled the silk duvet up to her collarbones, staring blankly at the ceiling.
A wave of heat rushed to her face as the memories of last night came flooding back in agonizing detail. The way she had screamed his name.
The desperate, shameless way she had begged him for more. The absolute, intoxicating surrender.
She hated how easily he dismantled her. Hated how, despite all her anger at his devilish games, her body still traitorously craved his touch.
Shaking her head to clear the fog, she finally pushed herself off the mattress, her legs trembling slightly as her feet hit the cold floor. She wrapped a plush white robe around herself and walked into the grand, steam-filled bathroom.
Damian was already waiting for her, leaning back in the massive, sunken marble bathtub. The water was steaming, filled with essential oils that filled the air with a rich, woodsy scent.
Ana hesitated at the edge, then slowly slipped out of her robe and climbed in, sitting as far away as possible on the opposite side. The warm water immediately enveloped her sore muscles, making her let out a quiet, involuntary sigh of relief.
Damian’s dark, heavy gaze never left her. He watched her through the mist, his sharp jawline set as he tracked every movement.
"Come closer," Damian instructed flatly, gesturing toward himself.
Ana pouted, her lips pressing into a defiant frown. She stayed right where she was, stubbornly clinging to whatever tiny piece of resistance she had left.
Damian tilted his head slightly, a dangerous, dark glint flashing in his eyes. It was an unspoken dare... a silent challenge that promised dire consequences if she refused.
Her courage evaporated. Lowering her head, Ana submitted, crawling forward through the warm water until she reached him.
Damian didn’t wait. He reached out, his large hands gripping her narrow waist, and effortlessly lifted her up, setting her down directly over his lap so she was straddling him.
Ana gasped at the sudden, burning contact of their bare skin meeting beneath the water. He felt massive, hot, and completely overwhelming.
A low, dark smirk tugged at Damian’s lips... he knew exactly how her body reacted to him, and he took immense pleasure in every shudder.
"Damian..." Ana whispered meekly, her hands resting against his wet chest. "We’re... we’re really going to be late."
Damian didn’t answer. His large, warm palm slid up from her waist, expertly capturing her breast beneath the water. He began to knead the soft flesh with an agonizingly slow, rhythmic pressure, making a soft moan slip past Ana’s lips before she could stop it.
He leaned forward, his mouth trailing soft, agonizingly slow kisses down the side of her neck. Ana’s breath hitched, her fingers instinctively reaching up to grip his broad shoulders for support.
That was when her fingers brushed against something raised and raw.
Ana blinked, her gaze dropping to his back. Lots of long, dark red scratch marks crisscrossed his smooth skin... ferocious marks left entirely by her own fingernails during the wild frenzy of last night.
Before she could process it, Damian reached up, his thumb and forefinger firmly tilting her chin upward. He brought her in for a slow, deep, tempting kiss.
Ana closed her eyes, her lips parting as she invited his tongue into her mouth. She hated admitting it, even to herself, but his kisses were a dangerous drug... a single touch was enough to make her forget her anger, her pride, and her present reality.
Her insides were melting again. The familiar, deep ache in her lower belly flared back to life, demanding a release she couldn’t control. And it wasn’t just her... beneath the water, she could feel his thick, fully erect shaft pressing hard against her slick entrance.
Driven by an irresistible surge of desire, Ana began to slowly rock her hips against him, rubbing her core against his length to find relief.
A low, amused chuckle vibrated against her lips.
Damian broke the kiss just an inch, his dark eyes gleaming with a wicked, triumphant light as he looked down at her unraveled, desperate face.
"We’re getting late for the office, doll," Damian murmured smoothly.
Before Ana could comprehend his words, Damian gripped her waist, effortlessly lifted her off his lap, and set her down on the cold ledge of the bathtub.
He stood up, water cascading down his muscular frame, and stepped out of the tub. He grabbed a towel, wrapping it casually around his low hips, and strode out of the bathroom without a single backward glance.
Ana sat frozen in the water, her mouth slightly open, her core throbbing, completely abandoned in her peak state of arousal.
"You bastard!" Ana screamed after him, cursing loudly at the closed bathroom door.
Yet again, he had played her like a fiddle. Yet again, he had left her utterly humiliated.
She stood up out of the tub, wrapping her plush robe tightly around her trembling body, her jaw set in a hard, furious line. She stormed back into the bedroom, ready to throw the nearest heavy object right at his head.
But Damian wasn’t looking at her.
He was standing by the windows, his trousers already on and his crisp white shirt half-buttoned, staring down at his phone with an expression so dark and murderous it froze Ana right in her tracks.
The relaxed, playful arrogance from two minutes ago was entirely gone.
"Damian?" Ana asked, her voice dropping into a hesitant whisper, her own anger momentarily forgotten.
Damian didn’t look at her. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned ghostly white.
"Get dressed, Anastasia," he commanded, his baritone dropping into a freezing, razor-sharp whisper. "We aren’t just going to the office today. Internal Affairs just appointed a new department head... and she just flagged your profile for a full board review."
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